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A study on patients with known coronary artery disease who underwent both calcium scoring and SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging showed that those with a calcium score above 400 had a greater risk of severe cardiac events, such as cardiac death or heart attack. Calcium scoring "adds prognostic value to SPECT findings," a researcher said.

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The Ontario Health Insurance Plan by October will cover PET scans for cancer and cardiac patients under certain conditions. Among the areas where the service will be available are Ottawa, London, Toronto, Hamilton and Thunder Bay.

A study on patients with known coronary artery disease who underwent both calcium scoring and SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging showed that those with a calcium score above 400 had a greater risk of severe cardiac events, such as cardiac death or heart attack. Calcium scoring "adds prognostic value to SPECT findings," a researcher said.

A study found that the use of PET, CT, MR and other advanced imaging modalities dropped during the first year when radiology benefit managers were employed for prior authorization. The study also found that the annual growth rate of certain Medicare programs for PET slowed down after the implementation of prior authorization with RBMs. Second-year findings were mixed, however, indicating that some RBM efforts might have lost their effectiveness as self-referring doctors find ways to bypass codes to get clearance, a researcher said.

A group of biomedical engineering students from John Hopkins University has developed a machine that embeds stem cells derived from patients' bone marrow into surgical thread designed to treat ruptured tendons and other orthopedic injuries. The students, who are being sponsored by Bioactive Surgical, also are seeking grants to conduct further studies on the surgical thread to see if it can be used in other orthopedic operations, obstetrics and cardiology.

A study on patients with known coronary artery disease who underwent both calcium scoring and SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging showed that those with a calcium score above 400 had a greater risk of severe cardiac events, such as cardiac death or heart attack. Calcium scoring "adds prognostic value to SPECT findings," a researcher said.